Shanghai Port welcomed 42.4 million inbound and outbound passengers during 2016, up 12.9 percent year-on-year, according to statistics released by Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection. This is higher than the 2015 record of 37.5 million.

Since the implementation of the new 144-hour transit visa exemption at Shanghai in January 2016, an estimated 35,000 foreign nationals have entered under the policy, 90 percent higher than the number of foreigners using the 72-hour visa-free policy in 2015.

Likewise, foreign cruise travelers are now allowed a 15-day transit visa exemption. Since the new policy, over 6,000 foreign cruise travelers have entered the city.

Immigration inspection efficiency was also improved as more self-service facilities were installed.

Besides its 15 self-service channels at Terminal 2, Shanghai Pudong International Airport installed 12 more in Terminal 1, allowing foreign travelers to clear customs in as little as 10 seconds.

According to statistics, about 2.25 million passengers entered the country using self-service channels in 2016, up 93 percent from 2015.